Language Competence and Joint Attention in Mother‐Toddler Dyads

Abstract

Research suggests that caregiver‐infant interaction facilitates language competence. Joint attention, an ostensive interaction, presumably provides a context for learning language; however, the relationship between joint attention and language competence is not firmly established. The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between language competence, joint attention and interaction that fosters joint attention. Results indicated that no correlation was found between joint attention and concurrent language yet joint attention was related to toddler age which correlated with language. These findings are consistent with recent reports (e.g., Tomasello et al., 1996; Baldwin, 1993) suggesting that non‐ostensive settings need further exploration since infants use fairly sophisticated, subtle referential cues to learn language within them. The issue of contrived laboratory measures of joint attention is discussed.

Key Words:

• Joint attention
• language competence
• mother‐toddler interaction
• ostensive and non‐ostensive interaction